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Few textile manufacturers still take the time to process natural indigo or block-print fabrics, but both practices continue to flourish in Rajasthan, India, where this handcrafted bedding is made using techniques that have been perfected over centuries. Bundles of the indigo plant are soaked to extract the vibrant dye, while long sheets of cotton are laid out awaiting the color. With hand-carved wooden blocks, a wax resist is applied to the fabric. When dyed, the wax areas remain white while the rest takes on the evocative hues of midnight, lapis lazuli, and cerulean that all begin with the tropical indigo plant.

100% cotton. Machine wash.

Wash before using. Indigo may lose color. Machine-wash separately in cold water on gentle cycle using a nonchlorine-bleach detergent. Tumble dry, low heat. Fold and smooth.

In the family's studio compound, a dye vat is prepared over three weeks using a mixture of indigo, molasses, slaked lime, and water. When the dye mixture is ready, sheets of cotton are spread out awaiting printing. Using hand-carved wooden blocks and a mixture of earth and tree gum as a resist, the artisans stamp the fabric in a repeating pattern. After each block of the pattern, sawdust is dusted across the surface to ensure that the images don't smudge. The block-printing process is repeated for each motif that is to make up the final design.

Finally, when the printed cloth is dried, it is dipped in the indigo vat. The stamped parts of the pattern will resist the dye and emerge with lighter hues. Immediately upon removal from the vat, the fabric appears white, and then green. It is exposure to oxygen that quickly brings out indigo's well-known blue hues. This chemical phenomenon led many travelers to regard Indian dyers as magicians. Indian lore also associates indigo with Lord Krishna, making it an auspicious color to work with and to use in one's home.

During 1920s India, Mahatma Gandhi promoted cottage textile production as a means for rural Indian self-employment. Resisting the import of foreign-produced cloth became a touchstone of the freedom struggle, and even the flag adopted by the Indian National Congress in 1931 features a spinning wheel as its main insignia. Today, sixty years after India's independence and as the country rises in the global economy, workshop-produced textiles remain an important local industry in rural communities, and they struggle to stay productive alongside large-scale Indian-owned manufacturers.

The Jaipur family who makes this indigo bedding has been doing so in the textile town of Sanganer for more than 200 years. Here people specialize in the use of alizarin, indigo, and a range of vegetable colors. The elderly father oversees the dye vats and production, while his sons keep the books and learn the skills they will need to take over the business.

The day usually starts late for the printers around 10 am and after a leisurely cup of tea they open the printing operation. Due to the extremes of heat and cold, often the printers will work in the evening hours as well. Dyed fabric is carried through the desert for finishing using camel-drawn carts. Printing is not only a career, but a passion to these artisans who have perfected this art of printing and dyeing.

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The Mughal Empire dominated the Indian subcontinent in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The shahs spared no luxury, even when the court was on the move during a military campaign or hunting expedition. Printed cottons such as these would have made tent “walls” in the northern Indian desert. The print of our reversible throw pillow, inspired by the intricate metalwork settings of Mughal jewelry, requires as many as 12 separate blocks to achieve the layers of color and pattern.

Few things are more evocative of Ireland than the intricate knitting of the Aran Islands. Traditionally, the sweaters of the Aran fisherman were made by their mothers, sisters, and daughterseach sweater providing vital warmth and a tie to home and family. Bring the cozy feel of Aran knitting home with this soft, 100% merino wool pillow. The patchwork pattern incorporates three distinct Aran stiches: the diamond stitch represents prosperity, the honeycomb stitch represents the hard work of the honeybee and the rewards of an industrious life, and the cable stitch stands in for the fishing rope that was so essential to livelihood on the Aran Islands.

Charles Moss Duke Jr., a retired USAF Brigadier General, was a United States astronaut and engineer for NASA. Duke served as a member of the support crew for Apollo 10, as Backup Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo 13 and 17, and as capcom for Apollo 11 where his distinctive southern drawl became familiar to TV viewers around the world.

Even the most active traveler needs to take a break sometime. These self-inflating travel pillows help keep backaches at bay and add a little comfort on a long travel day. They inflate with a twist of the valve, and deflate to pack flat or roll up in a carry-on bag.

Women in a handicraft collective in Gujarat, India, hand-embroider these fanciful forest scenes of lions, elephants, and birds playing and sleeping in the shadow of the mountains. The addition of mirrored appliqués is traditional in embroidery from the northern Indian desert.

Women in a handicraft collective in Gujarat, India, hand-embroider these sun-and-moon pillows with fanciful forest scenes of lions, elephants, and birds playing and sleeping in the shadow of the mountains. The addition of mirrored appliqués is traditional in embroidery from the northern Indian desert.

Ayacucho, Peru, was the center of the pre-Inca Huari empire, dating back to the fifth century. The Huari were known for their sophisticated woven tapestries; for their descendants, textiles are a way to connect with preconquest cultural traditions. These pillows are handwoven on ancient wooden looms, then covered with vivid floral patterns using wool threads and crewel embroidery techniques.

Ayacucho, Peru, was the center of the pre-Inca Huari empire, dating back to the fifth century. The Huari were known for their sophisticated woven tapestries; for their descendants, textiles are a way to connect with preconquest cultural traditions. These pillows are handwoven on ancient wooden looms, then covered with vivid floral patterns using wool threads and crewel embroidery techniques.

Women in rural Bengal transform fabric from old saris into soft quilts using a simple running stitch, called kantha. Here, vintage kantha quilts are again transformed into colorful pillows. Piled on a bed or propped on a sofa, they’re a fresh and one-of-a-kind accent that adds an inviting pop of color to any room. Backed with burgundy cotton fabric.

Antique suzani textiles from Uzbekistan are the artist’s inspiration for these gold-tone embroidered pillows. The best examples of suzani, a word that comes from the Persian for needle, were made in the early 19th century by women from prosperous Tajik families, usually by a bride as part of her dowry. These pillows are made in Rajasthan, India, a region that shares Uzbekistan’s Mughal influence, and will be at home in a bedroom or living room alike.

Women in rural Bengal transform fabric from old saris into soft quilts using a simple running stitch, called kantha. Here, vintage kantha quilts are again transformed into colorful pillows. Piled on a bed or propped on a sofa, they’re a fresh and one-of-a-kind accent that adds an inviting pop of color to any room. Backed with burgundy cotton fabric.

Antique suzani textiles from Uzbekistan are the artist’s inspiration for these gold-tone embroidered pillows. The best examples of suzani, a word that comes from the Persian for needle, were made in the early 19th century by women from prosperous Tajik families, usually by a bride as part of her dowry. These pillows are made in Rajasthan, India, a region that shares Uzbekistan’s Mughal influence, and will be at home in a bedroom or living room alike.